Automatic controlling system for motor vehicles



May'19,' 1931; B. F. WOODING 1,306,011

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM FOR MOTR VEHICLES FiledA Daag, 1925Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT f oFFIcE BENJAMTN E. wooDING,oF MONTCLAIE, NEW JERSEY; DANIEL fr. DoBYNs ADa/rms- TEATOE or sainEENJAMTN E. woonlas, nEcEAsEn V.A'UTOIYIATIC CONTRQLLING SYSTEM FORMOTOR VEHICLES I l Application led December This invention relates tothe lautomatic `control `of motor vehicles at highway crossings or atthe intersection of a highway with a railway, either by giving an alarmon the vehicle or interrupting the ignition circuit thereof, or both,when the condition of the crossing is rendered dangerous by theapprocalch of another vehicle on the intersecting roa The general objectof the invention is to provide a control for motor lvehicles at crossingpoints characterized by simplicity7 of construction and reliability ofoperation.

In the preferredform of the invention the system is so constructed thata danger indication will be given upon the failure of any part thereof,thus conforming to the cardinal principle of railway signalling.

The particular nature and objects of the invention will be clearlyunderstood from the following detailed description, tand. the novelfeatures of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

The subject matter of this application broadly is shown and described inmy colpending application, Serial No. 29,978.

Fig. 1.-1s a diagrammatic lviewshowing a highway crossing a doublevtrack railway and a road and vehicle equipment embodying the presentinvention; I

. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View through amagnetically operated circuitxcontroller adapted to be carried by amotor vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a'. horizontal section takenon --the line 3 3 of Figure 2; and

2, 1925. Serial No. 72,772.

may be located at any convenient place near thecrossing `is provided forenergizing the kelectro-magnets 10. It will be understood, of course,that instead of using a single -pair of magnets at each side of thecrossing two or more shorterpairs could be used.:l .A

The vehicle equipment includes: oney or more circuit Vcontroller unitsshown inv detail by Figures 2 and 3. Each unit consists of a shallow box18 composed of nonmagnetic metal or other suitable nonmagnetic material.Resting on a plate 19 ofginsulation seated in the bottom of box 18-isa-pair of thinplates 20, and Y21 having their inner ends overlapping andsecured at their outer ends to the plate 19. Plates and 21 are coinposedof magnetic 'material, preferably pressed steel, and are normallyheldvwith their ends engaged by a permanent magnet 22a supported in anysuitable manner over box 18, as by upwardly extended brackets 22 securedto the top of thefbox. Plate 21 is stiffened by an overlying platey ofinsulation 23 vwhich extends from one end of the box over plate 21 vto apoint near the yend thereof. Plate 20 on the'other hand hasa lconsiderable degree of :flexibility being clamped near its outerV endagainstplate 19 by abar of insulating material 24. 'Plate 20 has aVpermanent set giving vit a `tendency to spring up outV of engagementwith plate 21, lbut the plates are held in engagement normally by theaction ofthe lines of force which pass throughthe plates from thepermanent magnet 22a. The external circuit is connected to plates 2O and21 by means of binding posts and 26, these posts being screwed throughinsulating bushings in the cover of the box, and making firm contact attheir ends with the plates.

Since` the controlleris subject to consid- -erable jarring andvibrationV during the travel of the automobilev and the contact platesthereof are therefore liable tov be jarred out of engagement with each,vbreaking the electrical circuit, I have provided Vmeans to maintain thecircuit closed irrespectively of any momentary disengagement between theplates. Thisrmeans, as clearly vshown in Figures 2 and 3,A consists of alight flexible strip 27 secured at one end to the upper face of plate 20and having its other end extended over plate 21 and provided with anon-magnetic contact button normally engaging a similar button on plate21; In the closed position of the controller there is a slight clearancebetween a greater portion of strip 27 and the underlying. plate 20. sothat the `c ontact buttons of thestrip 27 and plate 21' will maintaincontact on slightmomentary separations of the ends of the plates. Y l

One or more'ofmthe circuit controlling elements described above'may belprovided on the automobile. In Figure 1, two of such controllers areindicated and thesemay be mounted at suitable places,"as, forexample,`under the two running'boards. As shown the controllers are inthe circuit of a whistle 30, said 4circuit including agbattery 3l,conductor 32, the contacts of ther'two controll s in series, conductor33, whistle 30, a stier relay 34, and conductor 35. vThe whistle may beof. any suitable construction.

As shown in Figure4 it-comprises a magnet 36 surrounding the end of apipe 37 adapted tobe Vconnected to a suitable source ofcompressed air orgas, such as the exhaust from the engines; an armature dish 38 having avalve3`9.v normally held seated on the .end of pipe 37. by a magnet 3 6and a whistle 4() adapted to sound' when the'magnet is deenergized andvalve 39 is forced from its seat by the compressed air. The stick relay34 may control the ignition circuit, as indicated, so that this circuitwill be interrupted ysimultaneously with the sounding of the alarm.

' The vroadway electro-magnets 10 are closely associated with therespective permanent magnets 11, and have their poles oppositelyarranged `with 'respectto the poles of their associated permanentmagnets so thatwhen the electro-magnets lare energized they neutralizethe magnetic effects of theassociated permanent magnets. This is VtheVnormal condition; that is, the condition in which no train'isapproaching the crossing on either track. Under. this condition ofsafety an automobile equipped with the apparatus embodying. my inventioncan pass the roadway magnets without Vhaving yits circuitl controllersoperated. However, if Vatrain is approaching the crossing.v on eithertrack one or the other of the' tr'ack relays 14' and 15 will hedeenergized andV one orY the other of the front contacts 12 and 13 will`be opened; thus, deenergizing the roadway magnets 10 and permitting. thepermanent magnets to4 have `full effect;

f It will be'observed from Figure 1 that the permanent magnets 11 arevarranged so that they have opposite polarity with respect to thevvehicle magnets 21.A Thus, if av vehicle should attempt to pass apermanent magnet When its associated electro-magnet is de# .Whistle tosauna analarm and. simultaneously opening theV ignition circuit. Whenthe circuits have been thus opened they will remain open due to theopening of the front contact of stick relay 34, Vand in order to refernithe circuits it will be necessary for the operator to reclose manuallythe front Contact `of this relay.

A preferred form only of the invention has been illustrated. Manymodifications may obviously be made without altering the essentialoperating principles of the invention, and Itherefore do not intend tolimit my invention except as defined in the claims. I claim: i v l, In.a vehicle control system, a perma nent magnet located beneath'thesurface of a roadway near the intersection thereof with a secondroadway, an electro-magnet associated with said permanent 'magnet andadapted when energized toneutralize the action thereof, means controlledby a vehicle on said second roadway for controlling the circuit of saidelectrofmagnet, and a vehicle having an alarm actuated by said'per.-

manent magnet.

. 2. In a vehicle control system, a permanent magnet located beneath thesurface of a highway'near the intersection thereof with a railway, anelectro-magnet'associated with said permanent magnet'and adapted whenenergized to neutralize the action thereof, saidr'ailway havingda trackcircuit includingla relay, and a circuit for said electromagnetincluding front contacts of said relay, and a vehicle on said highwayhaving controlling means adapted to be actuated by said permanentmagnet.`

3. In a vehicle control system, a motor vehicle having` a circuitcontroller adapted to be operated inductively by a'magnet lo.- cated ona highway near the intersection thereof With ai'railway, said circuitcontrol- 'ler comprising two. strips of magnetic material havingoverlapping endsv and-a permanent magnet associated with said stripsandnormally holding said ends engaged, and an alarm on the vehiclecontrolled by. said crlcuit controller. Y

4. A vehicle control system comprising. a

permanent magnet' located. in a highway near the intersection'thereofwith .a railway,

a closedvtracl; circuit including. the rails of f said railwayand a'normallyenergized relay, an electro-magnet in a circuit including asource of energy "and the front contacts of said relay,saidelectro-magnet being. closely associated with said permanent magnetand adapted to neutralize the eect thereof, and a vehicle on saidlhighway having rva normally closed circuit including controlling Y 5means and contacts adapted to be opened when passing over the permanentmagnet I when the associated electro-magnet is deenergized.

5. A motor vehicle controlling systemv A,

comprising normally ineffective magnetic devices beneath the surface ofa highway near the intersection thereof with a road, means governed bytraiiic on said road for rendering said devices effective, a vehicle` onsaid highway having two magnetically operable circuit controllersmounted respectively on each side thereof so that at least one of saidcircuit controllers will be operated by said magnetic devices when thelatter are ei'ective at the time the vehicle passes thereover andvehicle controlling means actuated when either of said circuit vcontrollers is operated.

6. In an automobile, a normally closed g5 circuit including means togive an indication upon interruption thereof, and a magneticallyoperable circuit controller having contacts in said circuit biased toopen position and having magnetic means normally .30 holding saidcontacts closed, said circuit con troller being supported on the vehicleso as to be directly and effectively iniuenced by suitable magnets onthe roadway.

7. In an automobile, a circuit controller including normally closedcontacts biased to open position and an associated permanent magnetnormally holding said contacts closed, said circuit controller beingsupported on the vehicle so as to be effectively inluenced by suitablemagnets on the roadway, and means for giving an indication when saidcircuit is interrupted.

8. In a vehicle control system, a motor vehicle having a circuitcontroller adapted to be operated inductively by a magnet located in aroadway, said circuit controller comprising two strips of magneticmaterial having overlapping ends and a permanent magnet associated withsaid strips and normally holding said ends engaged.

9. In a vehicle control system, a motor vehicle having a circuitcontroller adapted to be operated inductively by a magnet located in aroadway, said circuit controller comprising two strips of magneticmaterial having overlapping ends and a permanent magnet associated withsaid strips and normally holding said ends engaged, and an alarm on thevehicle controlled by said circuit controller.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. VVOODINGro

